After acquiring several game developers and studios in recent years, Microsoft is considering bringing the Xbox Game Store to mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. As Apple and Google increasingly open up their platforms to third-party app stores, the path to Microsoft’s mobile expansion is becoming a little clearer.
Microsoft released itAbout Bloomberg) is in the works to bring an Xbox Game Store to Android and iOS. News of the game store first surfaced during Activision-Blizzard’s acquisition of the company last year. At the time, it was reported that Microsoft might still be years away from bringing such a store to Android and iOS, but things seem to be moving quickly. Xbox boss Phil Spencer has confirmed that Microsoft is moving forward with its plans and is talking to multiple partners to bring the Xbox Game Store to non-Microsoft platforms. A Microsoft executive even claimed that the company was interested in bringing the Xbox Game Store to the Nintendo and Sony platforms, but Phil Spencer quickly dismissed those claims.
During an interview at CCXP, a comic convention in Brazil, Phil Spencer said: “It’s an important part of our strategy and we’re actively working on it today, not only on our own, but also in discussions with other partners who want more options for phone monetization… I don’t think it’s several years. Away, I think that’s close. We’ve talked about choice, and today you have no choice in your mobile phone. To ensure that Xbox is relevant not only today, but also in the next 10 or 20 years, we need to be strong on multiple screens.”
While Google has opened up and loosened restrictions on Android to allow third-party app stores to operate more freely, we haven’t observed a popular app store. On the other hand, Apple does not allow third-party app stores on iOS and iPadOS. Security concerns are cited around the walled garden approach, but potential EU regulations could force Apple to open up its platform to third-party app stores. In this case, we see the Xbox Game Store on iPhone and iPad.
Diary: Samsung is already a good partner with Microsoft and the company ships its phones with many Microsoft apps and services pre-installed We believe that when Microsoft launches the Xbox Game Store for Android, Samsung may be among the first brands to pre-install it on Galaxy smartphones and tablets. Currently, there aren’t as many AAA game titles on Android as there are on iPhone and iPad If a game store brings more AAA game titles to the platform through individual purchases or monthly subscriptions, there could be many buyers for the service, especially since gaming is becoming increasingly popular among young people these days. However, for this to be successful, the combination of games and the overall experience has to be very good.